Duterte blasts rights groups for overlooking the ‘other side’ of drug war

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MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday lashed out at human rights groups anew for criticizing the drug war, saying they fail to see the “other side” of the campaign.

Speaking before the joint meeting of the national and regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Quezon, Duterte, chair of the task force, said human rights groups do not assess the situation beyond the deaths of alleged criminals.

Duterte also expressed his disappointment that only killings of alleged criminals were reported to the International Criminal Court, whose pre-trial chamber authorized the investigation into the drug war.

READ: ICC pre-trial chamber authorizes start of probe into Duterte’s drug war

“‘Yung masabi na pinatay dito ng army, pinatay dito ng pulis, hindi nga malaman kung sino and for what? Basta kung may patay diyan at walang suspect, walang tao, diretso na kaagad sa kanila, and they would say extrajudicial killing,” Duterte said.

(Those killed by the Army, killed by the police, they do not even know who and for what? As long as there is a dead body and no suspect, they will immediately label it extrajudicial.)

The chief executive noted that victims of drug suspects suffer torture, robbery, rape and even death, among others.

“Hindi nila nakita ‘yung the other side, ‘yung mga Pilipinong namatay at mind you, marami akong pulis pati military namatay sa itong droga na ito. Kaya mainit talaga ako, galit talaga ako,” he added.

(They do not see the other side, the Filipinos who died, and mind you, the drug campaign claimed the lives of many police officers and military personnel. That’s why I am angry.)

Furthermore, he noted that hundreds of people are being arrested for drug-related crimes.

“Itong (This) human rights, do you know that until now, we are arresting almost above 500 people individually for crimes connected with drugs,” Duterte said.

“Hanggang ngayon, ‘pag tignan ninyo ‘yang (Until now, if you look at the Citizens’ Complaint Center) 8888, their names are posted, and they are different people for different arrests, at ang nakukuha sa kanila (and what were captured from them) in terms of seizures of the contraband would amount weekly to a billion pesos,” he went on.

The Department of Justice on Wednesday released its report on 52 drug war cases, shattering police’s narrative of “nanlaban” or victims fighting back the cops

READ: Drug war details out: Probe shatters cops ‘nanlaban’ narratives in 52 cases.

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